My sister was berating me why I bothered on getting comprehensive auto insurance. I have told her the many benefits and she seems convinced. She was even surprised to find out that my auto insurance  will pay for my car if it was stolen or totaled. She asked how much I’d get for the car if this happens and this was one question I can’t answer. How much, indeed?

Cynthia

Levittown PA

Hello, Cynthia, how nice of you to advocate the advantages of getting comprehensive auto insurance. Like your sister, there are many others who do not feel the need to get comprehensive auto insurance and end up having to suffer the effects of a vehicular accident or theft or similar unfortunate events involving the vehicle.

If your vehicle is totaled or stolen, your comprehensive auto insurance will pay you its fair market value in Levittown Pennsylvania PA. To get your car’s fair market value, you should look around and see how much a similar car would cost in Levittown Pennsylvania PA. When you do this, be sure to factor in the make and model of your car, mileage, and how long it’s been used so that you can get a fairly accurate estimate of its fair market value. This will be a considerable sum but if it is still on loan, the amount will be somewhat less than your loan balance. This is the time for gap insurance to come in. Gap insurance will pay for that difference and will enable you to use your money in getting another car. If by any chance you are interested in gap insurance, you get free quotes from this site by entering your zip code.

Good that you have turned your sister into a believer. The world needs many others like you and your sister!

Can I get my driver’s permit before I turn sixteen in Pennsylvania?

Mary

Levittown, Pennsylvania (PA)

No, to the best of my knowledge you cannot get a learner’s permit in Pennsylvania before the age of sixteen. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Driver and Vehicles services as well as the PA driver’s manual, you must be sixteen years of age or older in order to apply for a learner’s permit.

Young drivers will also receive a Parent/Guardian Certification Form when they are issued a learner’s permit. This form is documents of the 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice. Young drivers must bring the completed certification form with them when they return to take the road portion of the driver licensing exam (6 months or more after getting their permit).

In Pennsylvania the earliest age that young drivers can qualify for a full unrestricted driver’s license in is 17 ½. These young drivers must have held a junior driver’s license for at least 1 full year, completed a state-approved driver’s education course, remained crash- and conviction-free, and to qualify for an unrestricted license before the age of eighteen.

What should I do if I was issued a ticket in for driving without insurance on a car that I do not own and and the car had no insurance? I live in Pennsylvania.

Parker

Levittown, PA

If you were issued a ticket for no insurance on a car that you did not own you should first determine if the ticket that you received was written to you personally or to the car. In most states such as Pennsylvania the law enforcement officer has the option of citing the car (owner) or the driver of an uninsured car.

Most states will suspend your license and require you to get proof of insurance with regards to your state’s financial responsibility laws if the citation was written against you personally. State laws will differ on this. If the citation is for you call the department listed on the ticket to determine what steps you need to take to rectify the situation.

I have a refurbished car which I occasionally use to drive around Levittown, Pennsylvania. I have made a few modifications with it in the past 8 months and I wonder if there is anything I need to know about insuring it with a renewed auto insurance policy.

Monica

Levittown, PA

When you upgrade your vehicle and stick with your insurance policy, you might end up underinsured. Although that can be relative to the number and amount of changes you made as upgrade.

Numerically speaking, insurance policies are computed based on appraisal of your vehicle. Now if you have made many modifications which improve your car’s performance or features, like a better engine or a higher-end sound system, it would result to your car’s value to increase. However, since most people do not like to spend higher auto insurance premiums, these modifications normally do not reflect in the policy.

In my own opinion, if you get to renew your policy with the same insurer in Levittown, Pennsylvania, then you better ask about the implications of your upgrades to you policy and see if those will be covered. I believed any changes will not hurt you so much compared to having to be drained if those upgrades would get stolen or damaged by accident.

The rule of thumb here is that if you make any modifications to your car, find out immediately if they’re covered by viewing your insurance policy in Levittown. Most insurance companies are infamous for their tricky wording, exclusions, and conditions, so it will be your responsibility to read carefully…especially the fine prints.